Look at the curves on that

Samsung, HTC, Acer, LG... the list of companies preparing Android tablets to rival Apple's all-conquering iPad reads like a who's who of the tech world. But there's been one name missing: Sony.

Now that's about to change. The Japanese giant already makes Android phones through its mobile joint-venture, SonyEricsson, of course. But when it comes to tablets, the parent is taking charge. Sony's just shown off not one but two new Android tablets that'll be launching later this year. But they're not quite like other Android tablets. Sony, the inventor of the utterly pointless ATRAC music format, likes to do things its own way.

First there's the S1. It looks from the front a lot like a regular Android tab, but turn it to the side and you notice the funky 'folded page' design. Apparently this is all about shifting the centre of gravity for an easier hold. Whatevs.

We're more excited (read: amused) by the S2. This odd little number eschews the hoary old question of 7-versus-10-inch screen for two little high-res screens of 1024x480 pixels each. The idea is you use them both together to look at a website or large program, but you can also run a different app on each screen. It's a bit like the Kyocera Echo smartphone which launched recently. Is this a good idea? We're not sure, but Sony are smart and can probably be relied upon to make 'em work.

We'll bring you more details of the S1 and S2, including if they come up with better names, over the ensuing months.